Tooth And Nail
by supernaturalsammy67
Summary: I know it's been done before- Dean's deal- Sam fights tooth and nail to get him free. When the crossroad demon acepts Dean never expected it to hurt this much. Sam- Limp and erm....battered. Sad/protective Dean. Happy demon....those words should never be


**Heloooooooooooo people...well I hope your all okay, i'm writing these one-shots cos the idea's just won't leave me alone- and the plot bunnies have gone all were-rabbit on me and have amunition...among other threats..**

**GET THAT CLOWN AWAY FROM ME!**

**Just a lil idea I had, about Dean's deal and yh I know it's been done before a million different ways...**

**but whats one more...:)**

**Besides all the others didn't have a brain like me...i'm not sure if anyone in the world does...but, oh well.**

**I'm writing these...when I should be doin tech, art and science homework...oh and math...oooh and some history reports- my excuse to the teachers:**

**Sam and Dean show me mathmatical probabilities of succesful hunts and chemicals to identify demons, they make their own sawed off's and even sketch the assailents in some cases, I know their history since Sam was born...now don't give me homework.**

**Summary: I know it's been done before- Dean's deal- Sam fights tooth and nail to get him free. When the crossroad demon acepts Dean never expected it to hurt this much. Sam- Limp and erm...battered. Sad/protective Dean. Happy demon...those words should never be together huh..? Season finale spoilers!**

**Warning: Lot's of language, I am from Donny. And well Dean's got a nice potty mouth. :) Season finale spoilers...but c'mon who hasn't watched it more than 12 times??? Sorry for any mistakes or errors xxxxx you may find xx thanks for reading xx**

**Disclaimer: yeah, it's among my rights to own Motley crue and every Asia track ever recorded...NOPE.**

**On with...Tooth And Nail**

"Sammy, your not coming..I don't want you to se this, and I don't want you there, so your not going...end of story!" Dean growled as he stood guarded inside the doorway, no leting Sam out or able to follow him.

Sam's tear's trickled down his face, finally dripping off his chin. "Please D-Dean...I can't stay here...I can't let you go without one last try" He pleaded, stepping cloer to his brother, his anchor and guidance. he couldn't let the last hance just slip away with Dean.

"Kiddo...I don't want you to see me go down like this" Dean shook his head, he knew he was gonna cave. "Not like this...stay Sammy, stay here-be safe"

"But i'll never be safe without you Dean, that's just it...I have to give the deal one..final..go" Sam's voice broke, "Please" he squeezed his eye's closed. "Jus- just please"

"Sammy..." It wasn't a growl, it wasn't threatening...it was lost and broken. "Will you let me go...if you can't find a way, promise me that"

"I promise Dean, thank you" He took his brother in a rushing hug, strong arms braced each other, held tight and long. Deep breaths accompanied the silent tears, then they let go, still a hand on each others shoulder.

"Ok" Dean nodded and moved aside, letting his brother pass and followed him to the waiting impala.

The doors squeaked open and slammed shut in practised unison. Probably the last thing they'd ever do together asfter this night. That thought hurt more than letting Dean go, the fact he wouldn't have a 'normal' ever again, nevermind a brother.

"Sam.."

"Dean.."

"Look, I understand why your coming, ok I get it...I'd probably do the same, but you can't go in gun's blazing...or the deal's off and i'm not losing you, not again" Dean's voice betrayed his watery eye's staring straight at the road.

"Ok...But I have to try" Sam whispered to himself.

Dean slowed the car, the crunch of gravel beneath the tires squeaked to a stop, to similiarly squeaking doors.

"Whoa...your not coming out with me..." Dean held a hand up, stopping Sam moving further into the crossroads, a nice little out of the way spot they'd found.

"The hell I am Dean, this is my last chance...you can't stop me" Sam's tone took an edge to it and he pushed past his brother to stand directly in the middle of the crossroads.

Dean sighed and followed. "You better not have freakin' nightmares over me Sam" He jabbed Sam's arm lightly.

"Two for the price and soul of one...very nice, what's the occasion boys?" The brother's turned around to the momentarily red glowing eye's of the newest crossroads demon.

"Sam decided to tag along to say goodbye, it's just me tonight sweetheart" Although 'sweetheart' sounded nothing like the usual flirt, more a growling undertone of his usual voice.

"I see...although after his last little stunt I should be anulling this deal, him killing me and all...well, even we have our dealers...and i'm back" She smiled, smooth accent creeping hauntingly over their ears.

"Thats' nice...can we get this over with" Dean mock smiled and tapped his watch, ever second longer fear sank in his stomach.

"You had a year Dean...it's not been a year yet...six more minutes and thirty-two seconds" She left a beat. "Thirty-one"

"That's awful kind of you, ya' know in a bitchy, sadistic whore sort of way" He smiled again. Hate.

"Thank you, where I come from that's a compliment" Sniggering lightly she stepped up to Sam. "Why did you bring the colt, dear...it won't work this time, i'm protected"

"You brought the friggin' colt Sam?" Dean asked, frustrated.

Pulling out the gun and cocking it, Sam aimed at her heart. "Let my brother go" He growled.

Even after all she'd said a flciker of fear flitted over her face. "I told you, It-"

"Won't kill you, yeah I know...But it'll hurt a lot like hell" Sam saw from her stare he was right.

His older brother was staring straight up, the black inky night and the few stars that made it past the darkness. "I knew it...he'd never give up" He mumbled.

"This has gone on long enough Sam, you promised." A beat. "And you lied...just let me go, this is a hopepless plan"

"It's not Dean, as long as i'm here she can't take you anyway" Sam smiled at the horror on the demon's face.

"What?" Dean deadpanned.

"She can't take you, if the purpose of your deal remains by your side"

"You have been ding your homework Sammy...but if the purpose of the deal just happes to croak it, he's mine"

"No...then the deals off, i'll be dead but Dean's free. So let him go" Sam warned, bringing the gun closer.

"Sammy, you dying for me was never an option!" Dean shook Sam's shoulders, shouting.

The demon shook her head, dark locks and curls bouncing. "Your not going to give up, ever. Are you?" She eyed Sam up and down. "You know every damn secret and posible loophole in the book"

"There wasn't a book, but yeah I know them" Sam answered, gun still aimed.

"Fine" Her face neutral and plain. "The deals off" A small smirk played at her lips, she clicker her fingers and the whining of hellhounds eased off. "He's free, so are you"

Sams face didn't brake into a smile the way Dean's did, nor did he hug his brother tightly in a warm embrace. The demon was nearly smiling, and Sam couldn't stop staring.

"It's too easy...what's the catch, what do you want from us?...from me?" Dean seemed to considor the options and stood, shoulders squared with Sam.

"No catch, your both free of any deals made by my hand. one condition..." Her smile broke out into full on glee.

"What?" Sam growled.

"You have to die, again."

It sounded simple, but she also said they were both free. This did not make sense.

"What, hell no...you just said-" Dean was cut off.

"I know, and you are and will be both free...But Sam has to die again to make the deal disappear...then your free. You won't stay dead" She grinned.

"How the hell do we know to trust you, what Sam dies now and then just wakes up?" Dean asked, frown creasing his brow.

"Yes" She blinked. "In the painfullest way possible, Sam dies tonight, he'll wake up and you'll both be free"

Dean didn't like 'the painfullest way' but Sam was noding, accepting the terms. "We can trust you, he'll come back?"

"My word is my seal Dean...kiss me if you don't believe me. I've promised a result and it shall happen, trust me" She sounded sarcastic and too Dean-like, if that's a word but what other chance did they have to get out of the deal, and with this new opening and so little time left to accept something else, Dean nodded.

"Good, just in time too. Your time's up" She smiled and stepped backwards, body misting into black dust and blowing away.

"Thats new" Dean murmurred.

He faced Sam, and the sight he saw nearly made his heart stop after all. His little brother, his Sammy was gazing at Dean so lost and broken, so much releif and months of searching and pain dissolved in Sam's eyes when he smiled down at Dean.

"Aww Sammy..." Dean breathed and pulled his sibling into a tight fisted hug. Sam's tears made a wet smear on his cheek but he didn't care, sam was probably drowning in his own.

"Dean, D-Dean...it's over. It's finally over" Sam sagged against him, knee's buckling. Breath hitching as he sobbed. A year's agony being released.

Dean folded into Sam, they sat there a while, just crying.

Finally pulling his younger brother up and heading him to the car, Sam seemed to be sagging a lot more each step they took.

"Hey man, your not going all girly on me and fainting are ya?" The fun light joking humour seemed to feel right again, and Dean's heart lifted. A glance down showed Sam's eye's sqyeezed shut, mouth set in a grimace. "Sam?"

Easing him down in the passenger seat, Dean shook his brother, worry settling over the warm fuzzy feelings he'd had, like ice killing summer.

"Sammy?..."

"Dean...I don't feel...s'good" Sam half smiled, and bit back a wince."This must be what she talked...'bout"

"What?..." _Shit! _He'd completley forgotten that part of the deal...well negotiation to get rid of the other deal. "Sam?"

"Don't worry, it's passing" He breathed in deeply and sat up a little straighter, the pain lines fading on his soft features.

"Passing...I thought your 'sposed to die, then come back. Not that I want you to but...this takes the bullet Sam." Dean sighed.

"She said, painfullest...maybe that's slow too" Sam expression made Dean regret ever agreeing to the stupid condition. He could tell Sam didn't like it.

"Sammy..."

"No, i'm ok with it..just didn't expect it so much so soon is all, i'm coming back Dean...and your free. I'm fine"

"Yeah, yeah...first thing were doing when we get back to the motel is getting you high on medication dude, you don't have to go through this alone" Dean seemed to think for a second, slammed Sam's door and opened his own a few seconds later.

Sam couldn't help but think it wasn't the unison they'd had earlier and the releif Dean was still here to share that made his frown lift slightly.

"You didn't have to agree going through this Sammy, just for me" Dean almost whispered.

"Dean, it was the best way out of your deal that came up, i'm going through it...okay?" But it wasn't a question.

"Yeah but getting out of my deal and into this one, I mean how long are you gonna' be like this?...how long will you stay...gone?..." Dean cringed, he didn't want to think of Sam as 'gone' or 'dead' even though he would be...did that make Sam coming back twice now?...was he going to be worse or less like himself th emore times he was brought back?

Dean honestly didn't want to think about that, at least he'd never be losing his brother to a deal again.

_Bad phrase, well after tonight anyway._

"I will come back Dean" Sam said, so small and fragile.

"Yeah you better, or i'm dragging myself down into that limbo void thing where the dead dude's go and yanking you back" Dean made a face. "I hate limbo"

Sam chuckled despite the flare of pain that surged through his head, then his chest. "I hate you sometimes"

"Yeah well...you've never gotten me killed to get out of a stupid deal"

"Your not kiling me Dean...something else is, I guess"

"'Is'??...as in now?...are you ok?" nervous and frantic heads began feeling for pulse and fever, checking pupils and tongue colour.

"Are you done" Sam asked after Dean leant his own head on Sam's chest to listen to the heartbeat. Strong and steady.

"I'm just checkin' Sammy...we don't even know how your gonna' pop the cap"

Sam made a face this time. "Croak it? pop the cap?...Dean how mnay phrases of death do you have?"

A crinkled of the forehead and Dean began muttering, lifting his finger off the wheel as he drove. "kick the bucket, spring the leak, pop the clogs, cut the knife, knocked it, snuffed it, blown away, met the chop, jumped worlds, moved on, passed away, say hi to the clouds, skipped the week...I could go on" Dean sighed, the pallor of Sam's face made him stop right then.

"You have seriously messed up issues Dean"

"What?...'dead' sounds too...dead for the job. We need to liven it up"

"liven up 'dead', Dean that, t-that doesn't even make sense on sooo many levels" Sam sighed, but what could ya' do?...it was family and all.

Pfft.

"Yeah, like improvise...smoked the cat...choked it-"

"Yeah, Dean I got it the first time, do you really have to go through all these 'dead' lines now...I dread to think what you've made up for me"

Dean winced at that, he hadn't actually thought about it...well, Sam needed something good.

"hung up the shoes"

"I'm sorry"

"hung up the shoes...for you Sammy" His tone seemed lighter, as he glanced at the sun rising and smiled as it glinted over the perfect black finish on his baby.

"Shoes...?"

"Did I mention they were pink, ballerina slippers" His eye's twinkled and that shit-eaing grin spread itself over his whole posture. He had his brother back, for good and it felt great.

"I guess it coulda' been worse" Sam sighed, marveling at how Dean-like Dean was again, now that sounded messed up.

"Nah...when I die, it's gonna be cool...something like...emptied the barrel" he drifted in thought, imagining goin' down in some action movie side by side with Rambo and Clint Eastwood in a western shootout, image of bravery.

"Why couldn't I of got that line?"

"Nah, Sammy your more of a jammed the gun sorta guy, you break things...I use them well" Speaking of using well, where was that waitress he'd asked out?

"Thak you so much, i'll take that thought with me to the grave"

"Yeah, you keep bein' bitchy you will end up in a grave" Dean snorted. "Hey, you remember the turn-off for the motel?...Sam?"

Slumped in the passenger seat, fingers wrapped around his chest Sam tried to inhale without the stabbing pains.

"SAMMY!" Swinging the car over to the shoulder of the road, Dean reached over and grasped Sam's head in his hands.

"Ahh...D-..." Sam gasped, his arms tightened around his chest, breaths low and wheezy. Head slamming back onto the leather seats Sam struggled through the pain, he could feel it easing off. "Dean..."

"It's ok Sammy, just take a deep breath"

"I...can't, idiot!" Biting his tongue, and letting his arms fall limp he sagged toward Dean. "Man, that was...memorable" He finished, frowning.

"Memorable?...you freakin' choke and it's memorable?"

"I didn't know what happened, just kinda' seized up" He rubbed his chest absent mindly.

"You think this is part of the deal thing, or you?"

"me?...how could it not be the deal?"

"You haven't exactly been sleeping lately Sam, and you've been popping aspirin like an alcoholic on 'free' night"

"It's been pretty messed up lately Dean and there's been...things, goin' on" Sam seemed to recoil back into the seat and awya from Dean, like he'd found his deepest darkest secret and threatened to tell.

"Thing's goin' on?...like what?" Dean demanded.

"Just, nightmares, dreams stuff like that...your deal had me wound out like crazy" he tried to shrug it off.

"Nightmares?...dreams? I thought we were over those"

"No, you were...I can't seem to get rid of them..."

"Spill"

Clear, or very well acted suprise flitted on Sam's face. "Spill?...what?"

"There's something your not telling me Sam" Dean ground his eye's toward his brother and watched the wall break.

"There's not been dreams...I think, maybe...I dunno' it's a longshot but...maybe the powers are coming back" He winced at the shock on his brother's face.

"Their back?.."

"I don't know but the dreams have been completley random people, really intense and vivid like the visions, pre-monitions whatever...I dunno" Sam leaned against the window.

Dean stared at the road, started the car again and pulled back onto the winding track.

"Have you checked?...see if the incidents ever actually happened?" His coice was monotonous and quiet.

"Yeah i've checked. Nothing, though. Couldn't find any of the people in them either...at least no clues as to who they are and it hasn't happened yet"

"What did you see happen?" This time Dean seemed intriqued.

"There was a house fire...haven't found any aticles yet, or any news" Sam sighed.

"Maybe it's freaky memories, we have seen a lot man. Just the people you've met before and don't remember with your sub-concious migled together all our past and what we've seen" Dean surmised, but they both knew it was more than that, they didn't believe in coincidences after all.

"Yeah, maybe" Nope, not a chance.

Pulling into their cabin, hired from motel au' naturel down the road, it gave almost a homey feel. The natural wooden logs made to build the outside, it's own chimney and porch and just outside a thicket of tree's toward the woods.

Cosy, and their last retreat for the past near month. Where the brother's were just being brother's, and saying goodbye.

Killing the engine and staring thoughtfully at the cabin, Dean smiled. "Looks like we don't have to say goodbye after all"

"Yeah...I don't mean to be rude Dean but- i'm happy, i'm damn right overjoyed your deal is off, but could this dying thing be over already, i'm feeling like a parachute is gonna' go off and I don't know if the strings are cut"

"Wow, your really anxious bout this aren't ya?"

"Yes Dean, i'm going to die and I don't know when...ah, I just...i'm kinda' freaked" Sam held his side.

"You ok?" Dean touched Sam's hand briefly and Sam gasped. "Sam?"

"Ah...Dean, my back...where Jake...it, ahh...h-hurts" Squeezing his eye's shut Sam craned his neck backwards, adams apple bobbing as he swallowed.

"hang on.." kicking open his door and fumbling the cabin's keys he opened Sam's side and grabbed him under the armpits, heaving out the groaning beanpole, Sams legs dragged under him.

He never saw the red coated leather seat where Sam had sat, nor the growing patch on his little brother's back.

"Dean..." His eye's seemed to zone out from the pain, his brow creased and complexion pale and clammy.

"Oh god, Sammy just hold on..." he felt desperate, like when Sam had died before and his baby brother's face cold and pale, his body lifeless and limp in his arms. Lost the only stable thing in his life and he felt those emotions break out, all the memories from last time tumble forward. "Sammy?.."

"Dean, please..." His eye's drifted closed, even though he contiuned groaning as Dean lifted him more securely, Sam's arm around his neck he hefted him to their cabin, up the porch steps and booted open the sturdy oak door, keys still in the lock.

Settling Sam down into his bed, Dean skimmed over Sam's form. "Sammy...?"

"I'm cold..." Sam shivered, moaning.

"Shhh, it's okay Sam, it'll be over soon and you'll be ok...ya' hear me, you'll be okay" Dean stroked Sam's hair, and patted his chest.

Sam gulped in a lung ful of fresh air. "Dean..." he almost sobbed. Chest rising and falling too fast, his breaths too quick. "Ahhhhhhh...guhh..." He fisted white knuckled tents onto the bed covers, face ashen and back arched. "Ahhhhhhhh...aahhhhhhhhhhh" Sam screamed long and hard until his voice ran raw.

"Sammy.." A tear fell onto the bed cover, splashing out and soaking in immediatley, running the growing red stain from under his brother. His features crumpled and torn Dean rested his hands under Sam's chin and the side of his face. "It's okay...it'll be over soon" Although it tore him apart to know Sam knew he was dying, and that somehow Dean was saying it was ok, when 'Sam' and 'dying' in the same sentence was never at all, even possibly ever 'ok'.

"Dea...knives...inside of me...it hurts, make it stop...please..." Sam begged, eye's halfmast yet so bright and full of unshed tears.

"I can't...Sammy I wish I could...the deal, we promised man" Dean ducked his head onto Sam's fisted hand, gave his shoulder a squeeze and looked back up. Tear stains marred his cheeks.

Hissing in breaths between his teeth, chest following his breathing Sam managed to grip onto Dean's collar tight fisted. "Dean..." Pulling himsefl forward, Sam wrapped his other arm around his brother and pulled him closer. Sam slid off the bed into Dean's grasp on folded knee's, Sam's head rested on Dean's arm.

Leaning into his elder brother's torso, his saviour, his protecter, his only family left. Into Dean. Sam tugged on his shirt, Dean satred down as Sammy gazed up.

The tug on his shirt became a shaking fist, Sam's bpdy arched one last time.

His gaze never leaving Dean's eye's but the life, and the light out of them. The last stare, up at his brother- the only thing he's ever loved in admiration and blood bond.

Dean continued staring, wishing for him to come back.

"Sammy, c'mon don't look at me like that...Sammy?" The cold, lifeless gaze still held the look of utter importance in them, like they were staring at a god...Dean choked back a sob, face creasing as more tears threatened to spill, a lump rose in his throat. "Please...not again, not like this again Sammy...oh god"

He buried his face onto Sam's chest, dampening the shirt and hearing no thud thud, anymore...only his own sobs and silence. How deafening was no sound when Sammy wasn't here?...it was crushing him.

Rocking back and forth, memories from cold oak wedged in his mind, but this was worse...he'd believed that demon, that Sam would come back but he hadn't and that was five minutes ago.

Crushing, painful construction nearly stopped his too aching heart. What if he'd lost Sam for good?...he'd never shared the things he'd promised to say, not really not even in their cabin together, he'd let Sam go...told him it was okay, and it wasn't. He'd lied to his baby brother in death, while he was dying...and he'd face the world alone.

Absoloute fear stole his breath, it was just like before he was desperate, this time he couldn't sell a damned thing to get Sam back. He'd failed echoed in Dean's head over and over.

"Sammy..." he whispered brokenly, shutting Sam's eye's and letting his brother rest. Dean bowed his head, heart shredded and sunk, When a gasp and flinging eye's jolted out of his grasp. Sam gulped in air greedily, wild with panic and limbs pushing at Dean, yelling "No".

"Sammmy..? SAMMY!" Over joyed and estatic that he hadn't lost his brother after all seemed to chase any fears away becuase it didn't matter. Sam was alive and here and so was he, it was as it should be.

"NO..DEAN...no" Sam trembled within his brother's grasp until focus finally lit up Dean's face. A stream of sunlight hit the back of Dean's head making his face glow and Sam relaxed, Dean was here and everything would be alright. He breathed deeply and slowed his heart rate to match his brothers who he leaned up close the Dean's chest, fingers still fisted and tugging on his shirt.

"Sammy, it's ok, your back. Your back kiddo'" Dean sighed heavily and breathed deep into Sam's hair, everything about his little brother was alive again, he could feel the heart beat and unsteady breaths, the fast pulse and struggling limbs. Sam was back!

"Dean...oh god Dean your ok" Gaze meeting and locking again, the brother's shared a close moment where nothing else mattered and their lives were complete.

That didn't last long.

"Ahh..." Dean's choking hold ceased.

"Sam?"

"I'm ok...still hurts a little" he half smiled, and Dean relaxed a little more.

"You sure your ok?"

Face still pale and slightly sweaty, Sam shook his head. "Just a dream I guess..." He shrugged, but the effort was too much and he collapsed back onto Dean.

"When you were...dead?" Dean hesitated.

"Musta' been. Freaky though..."

Dean summed Sam up, no cuts, no open bleeing wounds...no bruises. "What about?" he automatically asked.

"I...I- saw the yellow-eyed demon" Sam rushed.

Dean's eye's went wide, "Didn't we...kill him?" For lack of a better saying, Dean wasn't into that mood, not yet.

"Yeah...you were gone, and he said I was all his now and that I couldn't escape what i'd become" Dean didn't miss how Sam used the phrase 'gone' but ignored it.

"Just a bizare-o dream Sammy, we nailed his ass to a coffin" Dean smirked, less than his usual, but he was getitng there.

"yeah"

And they both knew that it was, or most definatley, was. YED was dead, they'd seen it. But Sam had died twice...Dean had seen that. But overall he'd had a fair share of messed up dreams and just being brought back with all this shit on his concious not to mention what they'd seen, your sub-concious could make up one hell of a dream.

They sat there for a while, just in peace. Six hours and thirty-two minutes it had taken Sam to die, break the nail, eat his share, blow the roof. Die and be dead.

_it's not been a year yet...six more minutes and thirty-two seconds_

Dean couldn't help but think it was the demon's ironic medling, sadistic humour kind of way. "God I hate her" He whispered to himself.

But Sam was on Dean's bed, no not the bloody bed and he was sleeping, not deadly unconcious or dying. Just asleep. Dean founf comfort in that.

After a shower and burn of the bed cover's Sam had along with any other reminder of what he'd gone through, they decided on breakfast.

Together, like it was supposed to be.

Entering the car with an echoed squeak into the evening, and both doors slamming shut.

Sam couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face, he'd never thought they'd get to do that again, together. He loved the simple stuff.

"What about that crossroad bitch, she kept on her word" Sam mused.

"Yeah, in a total 'get-you-back' sorta' freakish way, why we goin' after her?"

"No, we'll see her again. next time she's gonna' bite the bullet"

Dean smiled.

"I like that one"

They drove in contemplated silence, until Sam picked a track and Dean stuck the tape on play.

Reo speedwagon's 'on the road again' swept through the speakers.

"If it means anything Sammy..."

"yeah, what?"

They drifted off into the distance, as the sun set to a new destination for- breakfast.

"I don't think you hung your shoes very well"

A brotherly laugh was all that remained as the car sped by, highway 66.

Ironic, some might say...but that highway had construction teams on it and the sign was knocked, it should've read '69'.

But all in all, that is ironic becuase the waitress Dean had asked out...lets just say '69' is all that was Dean's mind.

**END**

**hope ya'll liked hehe xxxxxxxxx**

**yh, 69- all the squirrels fault I swear!**

**but Dean woulda thought it...i know i would!**

**thanks for reading hope you enjoyed xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**love ya guys, take care xxxxx**

**sorry f ya didn't like it, you can send fire and zombies to this adress.**

**my neigh bours adress...**

**lol xxxxxxxx**


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